Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

California budget deal could close 50 state parks

Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

With a state budget vote scheduled for tonight, more details of the budget deal are coming out including the now-available Assembly Floor Report. Here’s the analysis of the budget’s effect on the State Park system (emphasis added):

Reduces the Department of Parks and Recreation’s operations budget by $8 million (General Fund). This reduction will be partnered with a combination of special fund loans and reversions of prior year unexpended funds that, together, will have a total General Fund savings of $70 million. This proposal will result in the closure of roughly 50 state parks. The Department will determine through a cost benefit analysis which parks will be closed and when.